How successful do you believe that you are to this point in your personal and professional life? Do you have a good job? A strong educational foundation? A good network of connections to expand your professional outreach? If you answered “yes,” to any (particularly if you answered “yes” to all) of these questions, chances are you’ve taken advantage of opportunities presented to you throughout your career to further yourself and your career.
How much of that can be attributed–at least in part–to your education? From kindergarten through your bachelors, masters and beyond, your education shapes who you are as a student and who you’ll be as an adult and professional. There are other factors of course, both internal to you as a person as well as external that help to build your character and your future, but education–particularly early in life–is often forgotten or disregarded as important.
I’ve given my time, money and resources to my alma maters Mount Carmel Elementary and Vermilion Catholic High School because I recognize the importance of giving to educational facilities. The benefits extend far beyond just this list, but here are five reasons you should start volunteering or donating to your local schools now.
1. It Helps Your Community
By volunteering at a local school or donating money or resources to helping to build the facilities, you’re effectively helping to improve the neighborhood as a whole. Education is paramount to the success of a community and those within the community–by building strong educational foundations for the children where you live, you’ll be setting them up for success in their future.
2. You’ll See the Benefits First-Hand
This one is mostly for your own personal benefit. If you’re allocating time, money or resources towards bettering the educational system within your own community, you’ll actually get to see the effect you had! Instead of receiving a postcard that tells you what your donation went to or a thank-you email, you will have first-hand exposure to the actual benefits of those around you within the community.
3. It Will Allow For Others to Experience Education Better Than You Could
We’ve all had experiences–educational or otherwise–that we wish could have been better. Maybe it was the lack of air conditioning in the building that killed any chance you had of focusing on social studies. Maybe it was a lack of adequate funding to hire more teachers, causing classes of 75 children to be crammed into a tiny room under the guidance of one teacher. By donating or volunteering at a local school, you’ll be able to invest in the future, giving the children in your community a better, more influential educational experience than you yourself received.
4. You’ll Be Building and Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders Today
By setting up the children and young adults in your community to receive a better education than you did, you’ll be preparing the business and professional leaders of tomorrow for success. Those who receive substandard levels of education typically make less money, have a tougher time finding employment, and give back to the community less frequently. By giving those who are becoming educated a better chance today, you’ll be preparing them to lead the business world tomorrow.
5. The Satisfaction is Unparalleled
Another personal benefit of getting involved in any capacity is the satisfaction you get from helping others. I’ve written previously about why giving your time can be more beneficial than giving your money, but any amount of anything you can give that benefits others is always immensely appreciated. Not only will you have an immeasurable impact on the children, their futures and your community, but the satisfaction that comes from it is second to none.
Do you get involved with any places of education in your community? What do you think the best, most efficient or most impactful ways of helping others is?
